Reply #98: I think there is substance

[Tom Rinaldo]

But I haven't absorbed all of it yet, lol. He impressed me, when I heard him speak, as someone who has done a lot of homework on economic issues. I will at the very least say that this isn't just an easy applause line to him. Tasini is of the belief that the web of free trade agreements starting with NAFTA and the new international trade regulatory systems have hurt the interests of average American citizens far more than they have helped, I can say that much anyway. And I can say that he starts out from a perspective of being wary of the motives driving multi lateral trade agreements that primarily benefit multi national corporations. So he views them through a skeptic's rather than true believer's eye. And when you look through different eyes you focus on different things, and that informs different choices. Something that might not seem a problem to Bechtel might be a problem for American workers.

Tasini is also involved backing something called the Apollo Alliance, which is a call for a major American initiative to explore alternative energy sources which are rich in job creation possibilities. This I gather has strong Labor and Environmentalist participation. But ot be honest Jim, my participation on this thread so far had been confined to looking at electoral scenarios and the likely implications of them. I don't claim at this point to be expert at explaining Tasini's various positions on issues other than in a general sense, but his web site can always be explored for more information.

I do know that Tasini mentioned the inter connection of health insurance costs for businesses and the international competitiveness of American products. He is a strong backer of single payer health insurance. His quick and dirty slogan is "Medicare for everyone". He noted that the cost of Health insurance for workers represents a larger portion of a General Motors Car costs than the cost of steel. Right now it is about $1,500 a year. Tasini thinks that cost burden placed on an American business puts General Motors at a competitive disadvantage with cars produced in nations that have government covered health insurance, and is a contributing factor to loss of GM manufacturing jobs at home.